In a meeting convened by the GIPSA on Saturday to discuss about the restructuring of four PSU general insurance companies, Suchita Gupta, CMD, National Insurance Company and chairperson, GIPSA, had informed the unions that the offering of 12 per cent wage hike to the employees of the industry, made on Aug 4, was final

However, as the unions, with a lot facts and figures on the performances of PSU general insurers, still insisting on that the industry’s wage revision to be on the par with LIC , GIPSA responded, “It would revert in another three or four days.”

New Delhi:

Deadlock over the conclusion of the latest round of wage revision talks of the five PSU general insurers including GIC Re, has continued, as unions of their employees have stuck to their demands firmly for a pay parity with Life Insurance Corporation(LIC).

Earlier, in a meeting convened by the GIPSA on Saturday to discuss about the restructuring of four PSU general insurance companies to make them profitable, Suchita Gupta, CMD, National Insurance Company and chairperson of GIPSA, had informed the unions that the offerings of 12 per cent wage hike to the employees of the industry, made on Aug 4, was final and can’t be increased further.

Sourabh Mishra, joint secretary, department of financial services (DFS), CMDs and general mangers of PSU general insurance companies were present in the meeting.

In fact, Mishra in his address along with other issues also had urged the unions to accept 12 per cent hike as wage revision.

However, as the unions, with a lot supporting facts and figures on the performances of PSU general insurers, still insisted on that the industry’s new wage revision has to be on par with LIC, GIPSA responded, “It would revert on the issue in another three or four days after consulting with DFS.”

Also, the government represented by Mishra and top management of other companies wanted to discuss about the next round of the wage revision, which will be done on the basis of performance of each employees and by the individual companies separately, but the unions wanted first to resolve the ongoing negotiation amicably before opening a new chapter.

Apart from the fact that historically, there has been a pay parity among PSU banking, LIC and non-life industry, mainly, the arguments of the unions in favour of their demands for a higher wage revision, than 12 percent, is based on the facts that between 2012-17, all five PSUs were making profit and had paid dividend to the government regularly during that period.

The haggling over quantum of pay rise, an unscheduled agenda in the meeting, between the unions and top management of the companies had continued over two-hours in the meeting before RR Singh,CEO, GIPSA, intervened and sought time to reconsider the issue.

Sources in the industry point out that there is already a thinking gaining on the ground where a number of employees feel 12 per cent hike as wage revision is `OK’ for them and unions should accept the offer without delay.

“A lot of employees are happy and approve a 12 per cent wage hike and are keen to receive their arrears early rather than demanding higher wages on par with LIC,” said sources in the industry.

GIPSA is the official coordinating body for the four PSU general insurers, New India Assurance, Oriental Insurance Company, National Insurance Company and United India Insurance and GIC Re which a total workforce numbering over 44,000.

Earlier, refusing to accept the latest offer of 12 per cent pay hike with full five year arrears since August 2017 made by the GIPSA, the unions of PSU general insurance industry had said it was far much lesser than the wage revision granted to state owned Life Insurance Corporation of India (LICI) and ECGC.

“Pay scales offered to us as on 01st August 2017 with loading factor of 10 per cent put us in most disadvantage when compared to those granted to LICI and ECGC,’’ said unions on in their letter to Suchita Gupta, chairperson,GIPSA.

The government last year had approved a 16 per cent wage revision with arrears and 15 per cent of hikes with arrears for the employees of LIC and PSU banking industry respectively.